Otter Tail County weighs EMS plan as Ringdahl exit looms in Vergas area

Ringdahl Ambulance told the state in June that it does not intend to renew its Primary Service Area license for the Pelican Rapids service area when it expires in 2027, and Otter Tail County is now moving to protect EMS coverage for Vergas and the surrounding countryside.

The county board has directed staff to pursue a subordinate service district, a legal tool that would let the county organize and finance emergency medical service for the affected area if Ringdahl steps away from the current arrangement. County leaders have been working on the issue since Ringdahl notified communities in March 2026 that financial shortfalls threatened its ability to sustain service, then held an informational session in April to review options under Minnesota law.

The county says the subordinate service district model is the preferred option among the townships and cities in the Ringdahl service area. Under Minnesota Chapter 357B, a county can create a compact district, seek a Primary Service Area license, and contract with an EMS provider through a request for proposals. The service can be funded through property taxes, parcel fees, or a combination of both, which puts the cost question directly onto the owners who depend on the ambulances closest to their homes, cabins, and farms.

That is the practical issue hanging over Vergas-area residents: who will answer the call after 2027, how quickly an ambulance can get there, and whether the county can keep coverage uninterrupted while the transition is still being negotiated. Wayne Johnson has led outreach to townships and cities in the service area, and the county says those communities favored the subordinate service district route, but no long-term provider has yet been named.

Ringdahl’s Pelican Rapids operation helps show what is at stake. The service says it provides advanced life support to all of western Otter Tail County with shared staff between Fergus Falls and Pelican Rapids, runs three ALS crews in Fergus Falls and one or two at the Pelican Rapids station, and responds to about 550 calls a year in Otter Tail County. In a rural county where ambulances are stretched across long distances, losing that footprint would ripple through response times, staffing and funding.

The licensing change also lands under a new state structure. As of Jan. 1, 2025, EMS regulation moved to the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services, the agency that received Ringdahl’s nonrenewal notice. County officials are now trying to get ahead of the gap before a service decision made in 2026 becomes a coverage crisis in 2027.